It’s an open book – as well it should be. We’re talking about the design concept behind Omaha’s new Central Library – and at the heart of its very mission.

To provide a welcoming space for all people, as varied as the reading material traditionally found among their carefully curated shelves.

It’s just one of the many goals for the new facility, currently under construction, to attract people from all sectors and ages of the community.

Slated to open Spring 2026, the 96,000-square-foot, world-class structure is touted to be one of the largest investments in a public library system in recent years – made possible by a $20 million commitment from the City of Omaha and more than $130 million in philanthropic support.

Deemed a cultural landmark, its vision is a collaboration between the City of Omaha, Omaha Public Library, Omaha Public Library Foundation, Do Space and Heritage Omaha – with significant input from community members, according to city officials.

“The new Central Library will serve as the cornerstone of a thriving library system that spans the city, providing comprehensive resources, services and community spaces that support education, research, and cultural engagement,” according to Courtni Kopietz, OPL Marketing Manager.

The new facility will function as a hub for knowledge dissemination, collaboration, and innovation while ensuring equitable access to information for all, she said.

In addition, it will be the first public library in the United States to incorporate an Automated Storage and Retrieval System, allowing the library to nearly double its collection, without building additional square footage.

Central Library’s custom-designed ASRS can store up to 650,000 items from OPL’s large collection in its three-story, climate-controlled vault, housed deep within the center of the building.

“The ASRS allows OPL to employ a collections hub approach that will serve every OPL branch,” she added.

Better yet, the new library will say “yes” to everything a traditional library represents –knowledge, access, community – and more.

“It will still be a place to check out books, find a quiet space to study, and seek help from librarians, but it will also be a vibrant hub that offers creative technology, collaborative workspaces, cultural events, art display areas, and resources that empower the Omaha community,” she said.

So perhaps it’s apt, that its’ 72nd and Dodge Streets location, is situated at the “crossroads,” once name of Omaha’s first major shopping mall, which drew throngs of people through its doors – at a one-time, thriving mid-section of our sprawling city.

Not to mention, former site of Borders, a well-known bookstore, and Do Space, the nation’s first technology library – yet another feather in the city’s cap – which will be

deconstructed, with more than 90 percent being recycled, and incorporated back into the new building.

Not to give away the ending, but here’s a preview, laying the groundwork, for what’s to come …

“It was once said that, ‘The downtown is the heart of a city, but neighborhoods are its soul.’ 72nd and Dodge is part of Omaha’s soul. It symbolizes many facets of our city’s history: a crossroads, celebration, protest, innovation, repurposing, and rebirth,” said Thomas J. Trenolone, Senior Vice President/Design Director for HDR, who partnered with Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture and Kiewit Building Group, for its construct.

HDR projects, of note, include Kiewit Luminarium, Gene Leahy Mall, Fred and Pamela Buffet Cancer Center and Salk Institute, among the many more.

To elaborate further, Trenolone evokes the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, who wherein wrote, “The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.”

Meaning in a more modern sense …

“The site has its own kind of kinetic energy – informed, perhaps, by the dichotomy between its past and its potential. This new building and its program will compel a new future that influences the greater urban fabric of its surroundings. It is a dynamic building that can reflect the energy of the intersection of 72nd and Dodge,” he added.

Although traditional at its core, the concept, with its notable glass elements – to quote a Dylan song – is also designed to reflect, “Times, They Are a-Changin.”

“The area around 72nd and Dodge is undergoing a revival, with plans for additional commercial, residential, and entertainment options happening nearby. (It) was chosen as the location for Central Library due to its high visibility and great potential to push forward a multi-modal vision for Omaha. The intersection has served as a natural gathering place for people to express themselves throughout Omaha’s history, providing a space for connection, collaboration, and community. Central Library will further add to the intersection’s storied history,” Kopietz said.

By setting a new standard, the modern design has the potential to transform the area, and city as a whole, modeling how the community could be made more accessible to pedestrians, cyclists, and people with limited mobility, she added.

To help create this pillar of knowledge, project leaders took a page from the general public, as well as regional, national and even international library experts. “Design decisions were informed by OPL Facilities Master Plans, OPL and Do Space staff workshops, project and community partner engagement, valuable public input, library trends and best practices, and project team visits to some of the world’s most innovative libraries in Canada and Norway, as well as cutting-edge libraries in the United States,” Kopietz said.

In addition, the community input process was designed and coordinated by Margaret Sullivan Studio, “a national library leader, considered to be one of the most ambitious

community engagement processes” for a public library facilities plan in the nation, according to city officials.

What they gleaned, foremost, was the community’s desire to connect, which greatly influenced the design process, they said.

Which one can see, if you drive by the construction site, is all going according to plan …

“The interlocking pattern of the building represents unity of our city, but the individual components represent the unique neighborhoods that give our city its identity. The uplifted corners offer shelter and symbolize entry. They also offer glimpses into the dynamic volume of the main hall of the library that stretches from the east entry to the west behind the north façade,” said Trenolone, explaining its more over-arching features.

Kopietz, vested in the community concept, also touted its symbolic silhouette.

“The building is designed as a system of modular elements that come together in an iconic form, representing individuals and organizations in Omaha and the strength and beauty that can be displayed when coming together as a community,” she said.

And, as a matter of fact, through the survey and their various actions, they did. The public has spoken. Vocal, albeit in more respectful tones, we’re talking about the sanctity of the library, after all, here …

The most logical choice, they deemed, is a library, as evidenced as one of Nebraska’s most visited institutions, according to city officials.

“OPL saw more than 1.3 million onsite visits in 2024. I don’t know how that compares across the state, but can say that is an 18 percent increase in visits over 2023, and a 32 percent increase over 2022,” Kopietz said. But it’s not just Nebraska. Research shows that the public library remains one of the most trusted and visited institutions in the United States, according to Kopietz.

And, there are multiple reasons …

“Omahans use the libraries to meet an array of needs – reading and fulfilling curiosity, seeking quiet study spaces, and performing essential tasks, such as searching for jobs and completing applications using public computers. Books remain in high demand, and people also want access to digital tools, community resources, and educational programs.”

In fact, they are elemental, she said.

“Literacy and library access are essential in communities; strengthening communities by connecting people with ideas, information, and innovative services.”

“They are becoming the last, true public buildings, open to everyone in the community,” added Trenolone, a stalwart, library advocate.

However, a library is no longer a place “where you walk in and get shushed,” according to Nancy Novak, APMA Lead Library Designer/Partner, noting the new facility has been designed for compliance with LEED Gold certification. Awarded upon project completion, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) a highly regarded attribute, is the world's most widely used, green-building, rating system.

Designing libraries for more than 30 years, APMA’s flagship projects include Joslyn Art Museum, Hoff Performing Arts, Norfolk Public Library, Core Bank and Union For Contemporary Art, among many other notable endeavors.

“The Central Library is designed to be a space that offers a variety of social, educational, and interactive spaces for everyone in our community. Through layered interior space, timeless materials, and a subtle aesthetic, the building will feel welcoming, inclusive, and inspirational for all who enter. Beginning at the street, and continuing immediately upon walking through the main entries, the entire spectrum of programmatic activity and varied spaces will be fully on display,” she said, of their collective imprint.

Which, in addition to volumes upon volumes of books and online resource materials, the Central Library – rising four levels high, with a mezzanine in between – will also include a café, outdoor garden, 300-person auditorium, more than double the meeting space, and cutting-edge technology lab, just to mention some of its more novel amenities.

In other words, something for virtually everybody – from the social butterflies, who like to engage in group activities, to those who prefer to be more reserved.

“The building is a progression that allows the spaces to transition from very public and open on the first floor to more intimate and quieter in the reading room on the top floor,” Trenolone explained.

Vital information they derived, in fact, ‘by reading the room.”

“Through engagement with project partners, community partners, and the Omaha community at large, the design team learned how committed our community is to leveraging a new central library to meet community needs and to exponentially expand the reach of local community organizations through intentional partnerships with the library,” Kopietz said.

“As a result, the design team focused on crafting a design that led to a variety of flexible, adaptable, public spaces that will work for the present and the future.”

To offer the best of both worlds, the new library will feature both indoor, as well as outdoor places of refuge, whether you need a quiet space to contemplate or just a breath of fresh air.

One could say, it’s one for the ages – all ages. Lest us not forget the importance of reading, proven tantamount to the development of a child.

“During the planning process, it was clear that community members wanted this type of inviting, multi-generational space. During the engagement process with community

partners, nonprofits, and the general public, some of the most requested features were meeting rooms, a cafe, and outdoor spaces,” Kopietz said.

The overall concept is timeless, per Novak. However, the project is right on schedule.

The exterior construction phase has been completed, marked by a ceremonial signing of the last beam put in place by local dignitaries, project partners, and key officials. Work has already begun on the interior, showcasing the work of 22 local artists, selected through a process run by the nonprofit, Amplify Arts, Trenolone added.

Want to read more …

In the final synopsis, the Central Library will have plenty of books available for patrons to browse, per Kopietz. But the non-traditional library of this stature will encompass so much more.

It will serve as an intergenerational, collaborative, and multi-purpose cultural commons, with a café, community garden, art displays, “bookable” meeting/event spaces, quiet reading zones, interactive story-time section, as well, as other places for children and young adults, for arts, crafts and digital components to explore.

However, they’re not closing the book on more novel ways to innovate and communicate.

Creating interior spaces that support current technologies, and flexibility to receive future technology – especially those that haven’t even been conceived yet – is critical to the success of the project, they said.

But, in the foreseeable future, be sure to check out Omaha’s new Central Library. And, in the meantime, you can follow its progression by visiting: omahalibrary.org.

‘Check Out’ Everything OPL Has To Offer:

In addition to books, did you know you can “check out” seeds from the Omaha Public Library to plant your next garden. Or, if you prefer, dig into your past and learn about your ancestry or new, historic home.

Much of the information can easily be found at your fingertips.

In fact, if you want to stream a favorite movie, you don’t even have to leave the chair. But, if it so moves you, you can always attend a writer’s workshop, join a book club, go to a Book Bash, think speed dating, but with reading material, or even brave an escape room.

Yes, much like phone booths of yore, to those virtual reality headsets, libraries have evolved – in what may seem like light years to older generations, methodically chronicling the past.

“OPL’s mission is to strengthen communities by connecting people with ideas, information, and innovative services,” according to Courtni Kopietz, its marketing manager. “The mission has endured across time, though its interpretation has evolved to respond to the needs of the community,” she said.

And, they do strive, to adapt to this ever-changing world.

“Connecting people with ideas and information still includes physical books, periodicals, CDs/DVDs and other materials, but it also includes Internet and computer access, eBooks and digital audiobooks, genealogical resources, even seeds to cultivate home gardens. OPL will continue to innovate in response to community needs, while remaining true to the purpose of public libraries,” she said.

A constant resource, OPL has been serving the City of Omaha and Douglas County residents for 150 years.

As a city department, it is primarily funded by the city. But also receives support from Douglas County, the Omaha Public Library Foundation, which raised $20 million in private support for program and services, since its inception in 1985, as well as the Friends of Omaha Public Library, primarily through used book sales.

If it piques your interest, all OPL events can be found online at https://omaha.bibliocommons.com/v2/events, Kopietz said.

The most common recurring events include book clubs and story times, but OPL also hosts everything from English conversation groups and writers workshops to escape rooms and gardening events.

But that’s only part of the story …

“We also find that adults are looking for more opportunities for connection beyond book clubs. For example, our Out & About Reading Parties have been consistently popular and involve people coming together in a community space – like The Joslyn, Big Mama’s Kitchen, Gene Leahy Mall, etc. – just to read together for an hour and then discuss whatever book they brought,” she added.

Also popular, the twice-annual Book Bashes, where you can cozy up with the latest read.

“OPL librarians do quick pitches for their favorite books of the moment. Everyone leaves with a list of recommendations or even a stack of books if they decide to check one out or purchase one (from a local bookstore partner) in the moment,” she said.

For digital patrons, OPL also offers access to a variety of online resources, in addition to its physical collection, including online learning and test prep, movie streaming through “Kanopy,” access to periodicals like the “New York Times” and “Omaha World-Herald,” and genealogical resources, like “FamilySearch” and “Ancestry Library Edition.”

All digital resources can be found at https://omahalibrary.org/resource/, she said.

As far as what they offer, OPL is open to suggestions ...

“Decisions about what materials to obtain are based on OPL’s Collection Development Policy. Popularity, accessibility of materials, and costs all play a role in what gets purchased. Patrons can also submit up to five suggested purchases each month (while logged into their OPL account) that our librarians review. While not all suggestions can be fulfilled, we try to meet patron requests if a title is available from our distributors,” Kopietz said.

However, there does come a time when a book reaches its own “shelf life.”

“OPL’s Collection Development Policy also talks about weeding protocols. While many books get weeded because of damage or general wear-and-tear, titles that haven’t been checked out for a long time may get weeded to make room for other materials based on demand and circulation data,” she said.

But that could change soon, helping extend the life of the literature.

“One of the biggest advantages of the new Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) at the new Central Library is that its extensive capacity will allow us to hang on to materials for longer,” she noted, of the facility’s first-in-nation addition.

Often times, what’s old is indeed new again.

“A scenario that sometimes occurs is that a title or series that is no longer popular suddenly sees a resurgence of interest when a movie or TV adaptation is announced. With the ability to store an abundance of low-circulated materials in the ASRS, there is a lesser need to weed books solely because of storage capacity and allows OPL to be more nimble when it comes to unexpected surges in demand,” she explained.

Going by way of the card catalogue, OPL has also modernized its checkout procedures.

Joining the band wagon, providing you have the bandwidth, many patrons are using the library app, as their primary way of placing items on hold and managing their account.

“A new feature rolled out a few months ago allows patrons to check out their materials using the app, instead of taking books to a service desk or using the self-checkout machines in the branch. They can just scan the barcodes of the items they’d like to check out, and they will be added to their account,” she said.

And, if you’re looking for that next good read, you may not have to search much further …

OPL also lists what appears to be the most popular literature among Omaha readers, within its comprehensive web site.

“This blog post lists the most circulated titles in 2024 for OPL patrons, broken down by category: https://omahalibrary.org/blogs/post/omaha-public-library-celebrates-over... she said.

Who knows, thanks to OPL’s emphasis on literacy, a local author may one day make the list.